Speaker: There is historic news from behind the Iron Curtain. Man has traversed the reaches of outer space, and that man is a Communist. Soviet pilot Yury Gagarin in the spacecraft Vostok l successfully lifted off the face of the Earth flew his craft around the globe in approximately 90 minutes and landed safely in the Soviet Union. As with the flight of Sputnik four years ago this latest Russian achievement has caught those in the American space program by surprise. The seven American astronauts of the Mercury space program suddenly find themselvesjockeying for second place. It has been reported that either Gus Grissom, John Glenn or Alan B. Shepard will be the first to fly the one-man Mercury space capsule. Just when the flight will take place has been the subject of much speculation. Tonight President Kennedy is meeting with officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to discuss not just why we are losing the space race but perhaps if it has already been lost.
Jerome Weisner: The Russian went into orbit.
James Webb: One orbit, yes.
Jerome Weisner: We can't even match that.
James Webb: Not yet.
Ted Sorenson: Gentlemen. President has been keeping up with your hearings before Congress and committees. For the purpose of tonight's meeting, we can dispense with small talk. He will want to know how we can catch the Russians or better yet, leapfrog them.
Hugh Dryden: We can put a man on the moon before the Russians. How about that? It'll take a concerted national effort. Somethingalong the lines of the Manhattan Project.
Ted Sorenson: How much would it cost?
Hugh Dryden: Somewhere between $10 billion and $20 billion.
David Bell: Pumping that much cash into the private sector could be popular.
Jerome Weisner: He will ask if there's anything we can do for less of the taxpayers' dollars.
Ted Sorenson: What if we put up a space laboratory of some kind?
Hugh Dryden: They'll beat us. If we get into a race with them over heavy lifting capabilities which is all that putting up a space station will demonstrate we're going to lose for at least the next five years.
David Bell: Hugh, were you as sure about this when you were working under Eisenhower?
Hugh Dryden: No, but the Soviets hadn't put a man in space then. Most assuredly, the moon is their ultimate objective.
David Bell: Red moon, huh? Who wants that hangin' over our heads?
Jerome Weisner: As head of the president's science advisory, I've gotta tell him that politics aside there's no reason to put a man on the moon. The only thing we'll get for our money is some rocks. So, put a probe up, scoop some out, bring 'em back and tour the world with them for propaganda purposes. You don't need to send a man a quarter of a million miles away to do that. And it sure as hell won't cost $20 billion.
James Webb: Well, certainly the president realizes that the moment a man steps on the moon will be a definitive one in the history of the world.
David Bell: Especially when he sticks Old Glory in it and salutes.
Ted Sorenson: He's ready for us. Can the president count on anything in the immediate future?
James Webb: Yes, the second of May. We'll have an American up on the second of May.
妙语佳句，活学活用
1. Iron Curtain
即“铁幕”。The boundary between Soviet-controlled eastern Europe and western Europe. The phrase was first used by Ethel Snowden, wife of a British Labour politician, in 1920, but was made famous by Winston Churchill, who said in Fulton, Missouri, in March 1946, ‘An iron curtain has descended across the Continent’. Hence the countries of the Soviet bloc were called ‘iron curtain countries’, especially by right-wingers.
2. Lift off
这个片语指的是“(火箭, 导弹等)发射, (直升飞机等)起飞”，例如：China’s first moon orbiter Chang’e I has been lift off successfully on October 24, 2007.
3. Sputnik
俄语，苏联人造地球卫星。
4. Jockey
Jokey 这里的意思是指“运用手段图谋某个职位或利益”，例如：John is jockeying for a promotion.
5. Small talk
意思是“Casual or trivial conversation, chitchat 闲聊”，例如：We stood around making small talk until the guest of honor arrived.
Small 这里指“不重要的谈话主题”，和那些严肃、重大的主题相对应。
6. Along the lines of
这个片语也写作on the lines of，意思是“大致相似，差不多”，例如：We told the architect we want a design along the lines of his own house but smaller.
